Silver Bullet
by J.vanGreven
Summary: (Post DMC5) Two months have passed since Dante and Vergil closed the gate to the underworld and left Nero behind. Are Sparda's sons still alive? And will they ever come back?
1. Chapter 1: Mission Start

_This story starts immediately two months after the game.  
The focus is on Nero, his two crazy relatives Dante and Vergil and his even crazier mechanic Nico.  
My goal is to stay as close as possible to their original characters and integrate my story realistically and comprehensibly into the lore of DMC.  
If it is possible for me with my modest abilities. ;)  
Please keep in mind that English is not my native language. I am grateful for any criticism and suggestions._

**Chapter 1: Mission Start**

It was early morning in Fortuna. The sun had barely risen, but you could already hear the shouting of the craftsmen and construction workers who, after all these years, were still busy rebuilding the ruined streets and buildings of this city. Big, yellow cranes towered over the rooftops like ugly statues. At this early hour, hardly any residents could be seen in the streets. After the catastrophe five years ago, there were not many citizens left anyway, most of them fled or died, when the Savior was brought to life. A gigantic Statue that destroyed more than half the city.

Yawning and with dark rings under her eyes, Nico sat behind the wheel of the old RV which served as a mobile office, workshop and temporary home. One hand on the steering wheel and in the other a coffee cup, the mechanic and self-proclaimed artist stared wearily at the street.  
Less than an hour ago, Nero had stormed into the garage like a madman, tearing her out of her dreams. He was babbling something about a phone call from Dante's Agent Morrison and a job they would even get paid for. Nico was not paying attention, she was too busy yelling at him and throwing tools in his direction. That asshole knew exactly that she had been working on his gear the whole night...again.

Nero, the young devil hunter sat in the passenger seat, he had his arms crossed behind his head and his dirty boots propped up onto the dashboard. Oblivious to the fact that she was still mad at him Nero let his foot tap to the rhythm of the music. He loved this song, and he obviously enjoyed that his usually cheeky mechanic was too sleepy to talk. He could enjoy this peace for yet another moment, until that crazy woman found the biggest pothole Fortuna's old streets had to offer. The heavy car made such a jump that Nero's head struck the ceiling.

"Dammit, Nico!", he yelled at the dark-haired woman next to him. Who was still sitting there, unimpressed, sipping her coffee. She gave him an annoyed look: "Calm down, Kitty."

"You did it on purpose! And stop giving me those crappy pet names. ", Nero scolded, rubbing the back of his head as he leaned forward to fetch the book from the foot well that had flown off his lap during the impact. He wiped dirt and sand from the leathery cover. It was the book Vergil left behind, just before he and Dante dived into the underworld like two death yearning idiots.  
Nero carried the book with him most of the time, staring at it thoughtfully or leafing around in it without ever reading a word. Everything he had experienced in Red Grave City still haunted him. Thousands of questions whirled around in his head, keeping him awake at night. There were so many things he still didn't quite get.

Was V really gone? How can a person just disappear? Why are there still so many demons even though the door to the underworld has been sealed? And why the hell had Dante never told him that he had a father? Why had he hesitated so long? And did Vergil know that they were related when he cut off his arm and left him to die?  
Ever since he came home two months ago, he had nightmares. He woke up in the middle of the night, every time he was drenched in sweat and clutching his right arm or needed to make sure that Kyrie beside him was still breathing. It was exactly like it had been after his battle against the Order of the Sword and Credo's death. He felt weak and powerless. Back then it took him almost a year to recover from that shit and now it started all over again.

Angry, the young devil hunter shooed these thoughts out of his head. The only persons who could have answered his questions were stuck in the underworld anyway, if they had not already killed each other. Dante and Vergil, Spardas sons and his fucking family who simply left him behind to do the dirty work. At that thought, Nero's face darkened, and his fingers clutched Vergil's book so tightly that the binding began to bend. For a moment he felt the urge to rip this stupid book to pieces and trash the remains out the window. But the moment passed, and his shoulders relaxed a bit.

When Vergil tossed the book at his feet, he ordered Nero to take care of it until his return. And that was what he planned to do, he will take good care of this boring book, that he couldn't bring himself to read. And should his so-called father really return, he would smash this thing right between his eyes!

_You better come back, so I can punch you in the face for everything you've done, asshole._

After taking a deep breath, he folded his arms behind his head, preferring to focus on the music again. Nico's voice gave him goosebumps as she destroyed one of his favorite songs with her terrible singing.

"Are you serious? Do you want me to go deaf? "

With a broad smile on her face and a cigarette in the corner of her mouth she raised her voice even more. All Nero could do was open the window in the hope that the thundering noise of the RV's old engine would drown out Nico's screeching banshee calls.


	2. Chapter 2: Feels Like Hell

**Chapter 2: Feels like hell**

At the same time, in a very different and much more dangerous place. Sealed off from the human world, the sons of the legendary dark knight Sparda faced each other with drawn swords. None off them moved or said a word. One brother waited for the other to make the first move. The place, those dissimilar twins had claimed as their own, was surrounded by destroyed remains of the Qliphoth tree. The rocky ground of their chosen battlefield was covered with notches, scratches, and dried bloodstains. Both were breathing heavily, and it was immediately apparent that this duel had been going on for a while. They had already taken off their heavy coats some time ago.

Vergil's lips twitched in amusement as Dante finally dashed in his direction. He spread his legs a little more to have a firm footing. He was familiar with almost all of his little brother's tactics, so he knew that Dante would attack him with a powerful blow of his broadsword. Vergil raised Yamato close to his face and waited for the strike. Sparks flew as the two swords collided. For a moment their faces were so close that Vergil could see his brother's broad grin. He responded with a grin on his own, before moving behind Dante with a quick turn. His opponent had not expected that and stumbled a few steps forward. Because of this mistake, Dante's back was unprotected. Only a few months ago Vergil would have taken advantage of this situation by mercilessly piercing his brothers back with his trusty katana. But a lot had happened since then and their relationship was slowly changing. So instead of impaling his brother, he took a step back and gave Dante a second to regain his posture. The fight continued and although they still did not shy away from hurting each other, it was clear that they were no longer enemies.

Exhausted and breathing heavily, Dante rammed his sword into the ground in front of him and leaned onto the hilt. The dark shirt he wore was little more than a blood-soaked rag. White strands of hair clung to his sweaty forehead and blood ran down from a deep cut on his right cheek, dripping stickily from his chin. After a few deep breaths, Dante raised his hand in defense to stop his brother from attacking him. "Time-out!", he shouted breathless and dropped to the floor like a wet sack.

Vergil stopped in the middle of his movement and lowered his sword. "Only if you admit that you lost this round.", he demanded, out of breath. Dante waved and mumbled something incomprehensible. After a moment's hesitation, Vergil pushed the Yamato silently back into its scabbard. He was as exhausted as his younger twin and looked equally beat up. Almost all the buttons on his precious vest were missing and the thick fabric had a lot off holes. His exposed arms were covered in dirt and blood. Blood from cuts and stab wounds, that had long since healed. With the back of his hand he wiped half dried blood from his upper lip.

"You broke my nose." Vergil muttered angry and touched the swollen bridge of his nose. The bone had already grown back together, but it still throbbed unpleasantly. Dante had dropped on his back and kept his eyes closed. He just shrugged: "You should thank me. Suits you much better, it emphasizes your giant ego, Mr. Omega. "

"How thoughtful of you. Shall I return that favor, dear brother?", Vergil hissed and gave Dante a mean glare before he sat down beside his twin. Dante opened one eye and squinted up at him: "No, thanks. I like my face as it is." The cut on Dante's cheek was already healed. When he rubbed the dried blood away with his thumb, only a fine line could be seen, which would soon disappear. Like all wounds the two men had inflicted onto each other during their many sword fights.

For a while, the two sat in silence to recover and to give their bodies a well-deserved rest. Ever since they destroyed the Qliphoth and sealed the access to the underworld with the Yamato, they had been attacked by demons again and again. At first, these ugly creatures had been a welcome change. They came in hordes and they were angry. In the underworld the power of a demon was much stronger. This was also true for the twins. But without rest even Sparda's sons had their limits. A few times the brothers changed their location. But like moths to the flame, these creatures were attracted by the demonic aura of the Devil Arms.

"Hey, Verge.", Dante finally interrupted the silence, "What do you think? How long have we been here?" "Are you telling me that you are homesick "  
Dante sat up with a wry grin and massaged his tight neck: "Nope. I wanted to go on vacation anyway." He hesitated a moment before he continued in a more serious tone: "I just hope that the boy is alright." Vergil glanced at his brother out of the corner of his eye. His younger brother really seemed to care for this young man. Allegedly he had picked him up in Fortuna a few years ago and hadn't let him out of his sight since then. Vergil remembered the stern and determined face of this boy when he dared to challenge him. This unexpected strength had truly surprised him. The demonic aura that emanated from Nero at that time resembled his own so much. He could no longer deny that Nero carried his blood inside him. "He seems to be tough."  
Dante chuckled: "Yes, tough, stubborn and angry, like his daddy." Vergil punched his Brother with Yamato's hilt so hard in the ribs that he started to cough. However, it did not stop him from provoking his sibling further: "You see! I told you so."

To avoid Vergil's further attacks, Dante jumped to his feet and took a few steps away from him. Vergil stayed seated and watched his brother, walking around with his arms crossed. Dante stretched and let his tired bones crack. He glanced into the distance Hoping to see something interesting, he narrowed his eyes and put a hand to his forehead. But no matter how hard he tried, everywhere around them there were only deformed rocks, parched Qliphoth roots and this stinking blood-red moss that grew everywhere. Sighing, Dante dropped his arm and leaned toward his coat, "Okay, that's enough." Vergil raised an eyebrow skeptically: "What are you planning to do, Dante?" In response, he got his own coat thrown into his face.

"We are already trapped in this hellhole forever!"

"Three months at most, Dante."

"Who cares? It feels like an eternity. It's time we get the hell out of here, Verge. I cannot stand this damn place anymore. Besides, I don't want to spend the rest of my life down here with you, sunshine." Dante pulled his coat over. Vergil did the same and joined his side. Together they watched a horde of wild roaring behemoth stomping in their direction.

"To get out of this realm will be a difficult task." Vergil noted while, almost silently, pulled his katana from its sheath.

"That's why I have you. You know your way around here.", his younger brother replied with a crooked grin, "Do you know what Vergil? I understand our old man. The underworld stinks, the view is shitty and there are no parties here either."

"Wait until you meet the angry neighbors."

As the ground began to vibrate beneath them and the roar and grunts of the Behemoths swallowed every other noise, Dante raised his hand and summoned his trusty sword with a red flash into his palm.

"The one who kills most of them wins?", suggested Vergil and raised his sword.

"Deal."


	3. Chapter 3: Courtesy Call

**Chapter 3: Courtesy Call**

With a scowl on his face, a wrench in his hand and a spare tire at his side, Nero squatted beside the RV. He tried to focus on loosening the bolts from the left front tire. While Nico paced up and down behind him like a puffed-up chicken, throwing insults in his direction."I'll let you get behind the wheel and what happens? You drive my baby to scraps! You know exactly how long it took to revive that beauty!"  
"What are you talking about? It's just a flat tire, nothing more." He glanced over his shoulder in her direction: "Besides, you're always pulling off stunts like this. "  
"I know how to drive, Devil-Boy."

Nero rolled his eyes. She was not completely wrong, which annoyed him even more. They were traveling by car most of the day. Half way, they had switched places. To be honest, Nero was surprised that the mechanic let him drive. A few miles before they reached Lugus, a small, old town not far from Red Grave City, he got cocky and left the road to take a shortcut through rough terrain.  
Needless to say, he regretted this decision. Nico would tease him forever with that shit. He ignored his partner's further nagging and continued to change the damn tire.  
Lugus was an old port city, surrounded by a stone wall that, according to Morrison, was older than the city itself. Thanks to this old brick wall and the military, the inhabitants were long spared by the demons coming from Red Grave. Now the city was dead. Except for the street lamps, not a single window was lit, some of them even nailed shut. Their van parked in the middle of the only street that led into the city.

Nero tightened the last screw and dusted of his hands, satisfied with his work. He threw the wrench back into the car, through the open window, just as a group of mean looking soldiers approached them.  
"Are you the hunters?" asked the meanest looking one in a harsh voice, while taking of his helmet. His uniform had the word "Commander" stitched on it.  
So he must be the contact, Morrison had talked about. No wonder the payment was so generous. The buffed-up soldier turned to his comrades and motioned them to stop. Then he tucked his helmet under his arm and walked up to the hired Devil Hunter. Their contact raised his hand for a stiff salute. Nero gave him a simple nod. "We are here to help. So, spill the beans, G.I. Joe. What happened here?"

According to the soldier's report, the military had already evacuated the inhabitants after the first few deaths. They could cope up with the Empusas without major losses. But more demons had crept in over the last few days.

Out of the corner of his eye, Nero saw the wild mane of his mechanic appear beside him. With folded arms and a sour face, she eyed the rifle that the soldier held in his hands.  
Nico hated these mass-produced military weapons, she called them "lifeless" and "without soul."  
Whenever she saw one, she will stare at it with narrowed eyes.  
It made Nero smile every time.

When their client started to describe the demons that caused them problems, his grin faltered in an instant.  
"I have never seen such monsters. They got glowing eyes, and they stand upright, just like a human. The beasts are so fast they dodge our bullets with ease."  
Nero groaned in annoyance. Why? Why had it to be those things?

"They already have a dozen of our men on their conscience. We do not even know how many there are. They emerge from nowhere, strike and just disappear again. "  
"Okay, got it. But I work alone. You guys stay put and behave."

_Thank God this job got paid._

...

A little later, the RV left the main road and slowly rolled onto a small marketplace. This was the last place where the soldiers got attacked. Nero grabbed his weapons and got out of the car to get a better look at his surroundings.  
The marketplace was enclosed by modern looking buildings, most of them towered at least 2 or 3 floors high.  
After a quick look, it was clear that the men never stood a chance. Nero could still smell the blood that got spilled, not long ago. The glass front of some shops had shattered.  
The well, in the middle of the square, was almost completely destroyed. Leaking water mixed with the dirt and blood of the road to a stinking brown puddle.

A car door slammed shut and Nico's voice was heard, "You see something?"

Angrily, he pointed to the van: "Are you crazy? Get back in the car!" Nico rolled her eyes and stuffed a cigarette into the corner of her mouth.  
She made no secret of the fact that she thought he was exaggerating. After she had sat back behind the wheel, she flipped him off, with a smile. But as long as she did what he told her, he did not really care.  
He turned around as he took a closer look at the terrain. A Fury fought preferably in the open, just like him. It would be easy to play the bait and lure it out of its hiding, but since he did not know with how many he had to deal with, he didn't want to take any chances. Not as long as Nico was in danger of being involved.  
His eyes fell on a huge hole that was torn into one of the houses. The room beyond was pitch black. A perfect hiding place for these beasts. Not too enthusiastic about his own idea, he took a deep breath and headed for the hole.

"Hey! You forgot your Devil Breaker! "

Sometimes this woman drove him crazy.

"Back in the car!" He yelled, while he continued to look into the darkness. He waited tensely for the glowing eyes of a Fury to appear in it. Something was wrong, he could feel that the demons had to be very close.

"Nero!"

"I told you to..."

"N-N-Nero!"

When he heard the panic in Nico's voice, he whirled on the spot and yanked Blue Rose out of its holster. For a second he froze in the movement.  
Nico stood there with her back to the van, her hands clutching a Devil Breaker. With wide eyes she held Ragtime close to her chest.  
There it stood, barely an arm's length away from her. Its red-shining body raised to its full height. Almost motionless, it stared down at the frightened woman.  
Then the Fury growled threateningly, and its eyes lit up.

"NO!", Nero screamed at the top of his lungs. Quickly he aimed his gun at the Fury's head and pulled the trigger. But before his bullets could reach the beast, it disappeared in a dark cloud. As fast as he could, Nero sprinted towards Nico and threw himself in front of her. Just in time he pulled his sword and parried the lightning-fast attack of that demon. It disappeared again in an instant.  
Nero kept his sword raised and scanned the area with his eyes.  
It teleported so quickly from one place to another that Nero's eyes could barely follow. It tried to confuse him, he already knew this tactic from his battles in Red Grave, but that didn't make those monsters any less dangerous.

"Car. Now.", He hissed. Even before he could add anything, he heard Nico frantically rip the driver's door open, before she jumped into safety. Nero exhaled.  
Slowly and with Red Queen still in hand, he took his distance from the van. Was he imagining things or were the shadows multiplying?

Nero began to whistle, hoping to provoke the beast. He knew his tactic worked when he saw a red flash in the corner of his eye. He could feel the breeze as the Fury's blade whizzed past his face. But this time he was prepared and gave the beast no opportunity to disappear again. With clenched teeth, he summoned his Devil Bringer, a ghostly winged arm he could control with his mind. Without hesistation, he grabbed the demon by its skull, lifted it in the air and smashed it to the ground with a beast wriggled in his grip and lashed at him with its tail.  
"Stop fidgeting!" Nero had to avert his face, to keep it out of harm's way.  
Then he saw them, the reinforcement. He let go of the downed demon. With a desperate dive he dodged the glowing claws of two other Fury's which crashed into the concrete behind him.

"Let me guess, these are your big brothers, right?", he exclaimed angrily. The three demons growled and began to circle him.  
Ready to take those beasts head on, he pulled the Trigger on his Red Queen and grinned happily as the first small flames shot out of the engine.

Cursing, Nico limped through the vans' interior, leaning onto the furniture to favor her injured left leg. There was a deep cut on her thigh that was almost as big as her hand. The wound bleed heavily and hurt like hell. Thankfully she always kept a first aid kit in her workshop, in case one of her inventions spontaneously exploded. After all, she experimented with demon parts most of the time. With a pained face she reached for the small white kit that laid buried under a stack of magazines and spare parts in the farthest corner of her workbench. She could already feel the blood running into her boot and soaking her sock: "Ew...that feels weird."

She flinched violently and had to hold onto her workplace with all her strength, when something suddenly rammed the car with such force, that it got shoved several feet sideways over the ground. A loud, pain-filled scream penetrated the thin walls of the van, and Nico's face went white.  
Next to the shower, a red-shining sword had drilled itself through the thin wall. But it was the blood dripping from this deadly weapon that scared her.

"Nero!", She shouted without thinking and at the same time sent a prayer to heaven. Please be alive.

"Fuck! That hurts! ", She heard him grumble in a voice distorted with pain before he started to cough. "Hey, are you okay in there?"  
Nico almost had to laugh, this guy was being impaled and worried about her. What an idiot.  
"No, I'm not! There is a fucking hole in my car!"

"Don't worry, they will pay for it.", His voice got dark and menacing.  
The blade disappeared with a grinding noise, leaving a fist-sized hole.  
The van began to shake under her feet. Suddenly there was electric energy in the air. It made the hairs of her arms stand on end. Dazzling blue light penetrated every crack in the old RV, and she had to cover her ears, as Nero's scream turned into a deafening roar.

He breathed quickly. It was hot, so incredibly hot. Gritting his teeth, he clenched his scaly hands into fists, his own claws dug into his palms, but the slight pain kept his hands from shaking uncontrollably. His eyes felt like someone had replaced them with glowing coals. He was still not used to this new form and every time he activated his Devil Trigger, it felt like his body was turning into lava.  
It hurt, but at the same time it felt so incredibly good. All this power that pulsated under his skin.  
Nero knew that he could only sustain this form, until his body could no longer endure the scorching heat.

The demons had ducked away from the devil hunter and watched him with glowing eyes. It seemed that they could feel the change in his demonic energy.  
Nero spread his wings and stormed towards them. They tried to dodge his attacks, tried to escape his sword and his talons and attacked his uncovered back by teleporting behind him. But this time he had the upper hand, he was faster. A Fury made the mistake of attacking him from above. Nero reached out with his sword and sliced the belly of the demon in midair. With one of his wings he protected his face from the gush of blood and guts that rained down on him.

The other two demons roared angrily and attacked him from two sides at the same time. His blood-soaked wing leaped forward, grabbing one of the monsters by the throat. The second demon appeared behind him and tried to strike him with its Blade. But the Hunter snatched its Arm and tucked it under his armpit. He grabbed the blade with both hands and broke it in half. The demon whimpered and tried to sink his teeth into Nero's neck.  
"No biting!" roared Nero's distorted voice as he pushed Blue Rose's barrel between its eyes and shot. Lifeless, the demon dissolved on the spot.  
He pinned the remaining Fury to the ground and rammed his sword into its scaly chest. The form of the demon flickered as it tried to teleport, but the blade that pierced its body caught it in place. Growling, Nero braced a boot on its stomach.  
With a flash, his demonic form disappeared. He gasped as hard as if he had just run a marathon and his sweaty body was so heated up it practically steamed.  
Angry, he stared at the Fury to his feet: "You tried to kill my partner, believe me, that was the biggest mistake you could make."

When the fight was over, Nico slowly ventured forward again. Groaning and limping, she half climbed into the driver's seat to see what was going on. But she did not like what she saw.  
Nero had won, there was no sign of the demons except for two large puddles of blood.  
But like a berserker, Nero hacked at the dead body of a third demon.

Oh, dear, here we go again. Since Dante and his twisted brother had disappeared, Nero had such raging outbreaks from time to time. She didn't know why, because Nero avoided her every time she brought it up. But what she knew was: That she could never ever tell him that it was Nero's sword that had hurt her. It had happened when Nero pulled the Red Queen to protect her. It was an accident, that's all.  
Sighing, she cranked down the window and stuck her head out of the car.  
"Hey! You are a hunter and not a butcher! That's disgusting! "

Nero paused, and after a moment's hesitation he put his sword back in the holster, on his back. The body of the demon dissolved shortly after. Nero turned around to her. He looked exhausted and dropped his shoulders before he smeared blood from his face.

"You okay, buddy?"

"Yeah, I'm just tired. Come on, let's get out of here.", he answered with a nod and walked around the car to climb into the passenger seat. Even before he closed the door behind him, he saw the bloody bandage on Nico's thigh  
"You are injured. What happened?"

Nico just waved off and started the car: "Oh, looks worse than it is. Got cut by a half-finished Devil Breaker when the car got rammed."  
He eyed her skeptically as he sat down, obviously not believing her: "Are you sure?" - "Uh, hello? Those ARE dangerous weapons that I assemble for you. Look at you, you got impaled!"  
Nero looked down and pulled his shirt out to get a better look at the hole in it: "Yeah, I'm still feeling a bit sick."  
"Don't puke in the car.", was the only, not so comforting, comment he got from her. He just clicked his tongue in annoyance before looking out of the window with his arms crossed.  
"Thanks for saving my ass back there.", Nico mumbled after a moment.

"Do not mention it.", he didn't look at her, obviously in thought.

"No seriously! The way you're just zoomed in between me and the demon, like a fucking ninja. If I were a girl, I would totally wet my panties."

That made Nero finally laugh: "You're an idiot."

...

To Nero's relief, Nico took care of the formalities with their client, giving him the peace and quiet he needed to recover. He felt like he just got pulled through a meat grinder. Every muscle in his body hurt, and he still had the metallic taste of blood on his tongue, even though he had already downed two bottles of water.  
The sight of the Fury which tried to hurt Nico, still lingered in his mind. Again, he had endangered someone who was close to him. He should have gone on his own, after all, he knew exactly how dangerous these monsters were. If he were not even able to protect a single human being, how could he ever keep up with Dante.

His thoughts were spinning around wildly, he had to do something about it, or he would not sleep again tonight.  
He picked up the phone.

"Hello?"

The sound of Kyrie's voice alone was enough to reassure him. Relieved, he breathed through, "Hey, it's me."

"Nero. Is everything OK?"  
He chuckled, of course she realized immediately that something was wrong with him.  
"No, not really.", Was his honest answer.

"Oh no. What happened? "Even through the phone, he could hear the worried sound in her voice.

"Please, Kyrie. I'll tell you when I get home. Let's just talk, okay? "  
They spent a long time on the phone. They talked, about everything and nothing. Kyrie told him about her day and tried to cheer him up as much as possible.  
When they both hung up, it was already dark outside, and he could hear Nico snoring behind him. He didn't notice that she had curled up on the small sofa behind his seat. She must have sneaked in.  
He looked down at his own hands, clutching his father's book.

* * *

_Oh my God… this one got much longer than I planned (and it took me longer, too). But I kinda like it.__A while ago I downloaded a Mod from Nexus which turned every enemy into a Fury. __It was hell! I almost broke my controller, but I couldn't stop myself from trying it over and over again…like a fucking lunatic. -J._


	4. Chapter 4: Home (Part One)

**Chapter 4 : Home**  
**(Part One)**

Dante had his arms crossed in front of his chest and impatiently tapped his fingers on his own upper arm. He never thought he'd get bored in the underworld. For what felt like an eternity, they had been following a swarm of Empusa all over this disfigured tundra. They just crossed some sort of valley that was covered in numerous craters like a Swiss cheese. To prevent being discovered, the brothers remained in the shadows of the cliffs that towered over the valley from both sides. In order not to attract the attention of these things or other demons, they had both left their swords hidden and suppressed their demonic energy as much as possible. In addition, Dante had to promise his brother repeatedly not to kill any demons while they tried to remain undiscovered. That was easier said than done. His trigger finger twitched at the sight of such easy targets. But if he wasn't allowed to slaughter monsters, he had to do something else, so he wouldn't lose his mind in this wasteland.

He grinned and caught up with Vergil, who walked a few steps in front of him and never took his eyes off those giant ants. As his brother approached him, Vergil glanced at him and immediately raised a hand to cut him off: "Don't talk."  
The younger one deliberately ignored the threatening gesture and the annoyed facial expression of the older one. "Oh, don't be like that. I am bored, and you still owe me a story. So, come on, give me all those juicy details."

Dante could literally feel the angry glances of his already irritated brother. "Certainly not."  
When Vergil pulled his eyebrows together and glared at him with narrowed eyes, Dante could clearly see the resemblance between father and son. It was this look and the familiar demonic aura that immediately caught his eye when he first met Nero. Dante smiled as he remembered how this little punk faced him more than once and refused to hand over the Yamato. Inexperienced and on his own, Nero had tried to free his girlfriend from the clutches of those crazy cultists who had raised and trained him. The kid already had some guts at that time.

His thought process was interrupted when Vergil grabbed his collar to make him stop.  
"Listen." He said quietly, pointing up at the cliffs above them. Dante tilted his head up and listened. Several voices could be heard from there. He was still thinking about what kind of demons it could be when Vergil already jumped up and pulled himself up the cliff.  
Uncertain, Dante looked back and forth between his brother and the distant Empusa.  
"Just great." With a sigh he followed his brother.

Vergil had already settled on one knee and hid behind a large mossy rock. Dante crept closer in a crouched posture and behind another one, not far from his brother. The scenery in front of them seemed more than strange to him. Three demons, one bigger than the next, stood in a circle and shouted at each other. Dante had to listen carefully because the voices of these demons were so distorted that he could hardly understand them.

"I told you not to believe a word this witch said," the biggest of them yelled. It resembled a gorilla in his stature. Short hind legs and muscular, huge front legs. His hairy body was pitch black and it had a long, curved beak. "Now he is dead, and the tree is destroyed!"  
A demon with four arms bobbed nervously on the spot and giggled insanely. "Yes! Yes! Dead Urizen! No Demon King!" It rubbed its hands together like a nervous fly. More than its abnormally long arms and thin legs, Dante could not see, because it covered its twitching body with a black cape, which waved like black smoke around its skinny figure. "Malphas liar. Dead witch!"

Dante automatically took a glance at his brother, who did not move and didn't even blink. Then he looked behind himself, to his relief he could still make out the Empusa horde from a distance.

The third demon spoke. A huge snake with the upper body of a male human, whose gray scaly skin shimmered with every movement, like an oily puddle.  
"Stop your whining, you fools." his dark, almost lascivious voice silenced the two other demons. "What has happened cannot be undone. The throne is abandoned again. So, let's think about how we can take it over instead of just standing here."

Dante didn't like this new information at all. That demons made plans to take over the underworld was nothing new and it didn't surprise him either. But the way Vergil listened to the conversation and stared thoughtfully on the floor, his hands clenched in fists, Dante didn't feel comfortable with. It was time they made a run for it. He tried to show his brother that they should retreat. The Empusa were barely in sight. Soon they would lose their track and with it their best chance of a quick escape. But Vergil either didn't noticed or ignored him.

_Keep it together Verge, don't go all "mighty Demon King" on me now._

He lifted a small stone from the ground and threw it at his brother's head. When Vergil blinked at him, Dante pointed to the valley and set himself in motion.  
It took a moment until, to his relief, he could hear his brother's footsteps behind him.

...

There were only a few things Dante hadn't seen in his job as a devil hunter and this absurd scene that took place in front of him definitely belonged in the top 10. Excited, the Empusa scurried around the legs of a large demon who sluggishly dragged his massive, hairy body forward and sniffed the air with his long-stretched skull that resembled more a beak than a mouth. Dante could see neither ears nor eyes, but the long, sickle-shaped claws on his paws could not be overlooked. The monster didn't seem to be disturbed by the little demons that followed him and walked around him like excited puppies. Constantly his long tongue flicked out and explored his surroundings.

"What the hell is that," Dante hissed to his brother after they took cover.

"Our way out of here. These demons can sniff out weak points in the magic that protects the human world from this realm. They seem to feed on this energy and when they feast, the crack they leave behind creates some kind of portal."

"And the kindergarten at its feet wants to jump through," Dante concluded.

"Exactly."

"So still no action?" Dante was annoyed. This sneaking around was just not his style, and he became more nervous with every hour that passed. His thoughts kept circling around his allies on the other side. He hoped that his girls, especially Trish, wouldn't do anything stupid just to get his sorry ass out of the underworld. She could sometimes be unpredictable and came up with the riskiest ideas if she felt like it. He didn't like to admit it, but he was worried. His job was to hunt demons and protect the humans from dangers. Down here in this shithole his hands were tied. He trusted Nero, the boy was an excellent hunter and knew he would not disappoint him. He and his partner probably had everything under control. But still, Dante worked in this business since he could think and was not yet ready to retire. He had to go back, and he would take his sibling with him. If he had to drag Vergil by his hair, then that's the way it should be.

They pursued the demons further and this time they had to be even more cautious because the portal sniffer could smell the two brothers as soon as they came near him. Fortunately, they had enough hiding places. Countless rocks, strange stone columns and dry roots turned the area into a maze.

"Is this how you managed to escape last time?"

Vergil seemed to think for a moment, then he shook his head: "Honestly, I don't know. I can't remember."

Suddenly chaos broke out among the Empusa. They made excited screeching noises and trampled over each other as they all ran in one direction at the same time, crowding in front of the legs of the great demon. He had stretched out his abnormally long tongue and licked the surface of a huge rock. Vergil nudged Dantes side with his elbow and ordered him to stay silent before he stalked closer to the demons. Dante followed him..

The surface of the rock flickered as if something was hiding behind it. It reminded him a little of the portals these annoying Judeccas conjured when they teleported.  
Dante pulled up an eyebrow. This demon actually ate magic. Bit by bit, he tore little shreds out of the air with his long mouth. The Empusa stormed at it like wildfire and tried to squeeze their way through the growing crack.

Dante saw Vergil already holding Yamato in his hand ready for battle and had to stifle a grin. Finally, sneaky-time was over. As soon as the portal was big enough for them to pass it, the two brothers charged out of their hiding place with their weapons raised. "The portal closes quickly, so don't dawdle around!" Vergil shouted to his brother as he summoned his daggers and nailed a dozen of screaming Empusa to the ground.

"You're such a killjoy, you know that?!" Dante summoned to his broadsword and hacked his way through the attacking demons.

These little fish were no challenge for the brothers. Within a few moments, the last dead bodies of those creatures were reduced to ashes. The big daddy proved to be a bigger hurdle. Like a wild bull the beast trampled on the spot, tried to kick the brothers and catch them with his whipping tongue. Around them, stones broke out of the stone pillars and rained on the battlefield, if the demon continued like this, it would bury them all.

"Hurry, Dante. The portal is already closing!" Vergil cried from the back of the rearing demon as he struggled to maintain his balance.

"Since when are you into bull riding?"

In response, one of Vergil's summoned daggers rushed past his face.

"Focus!"

As much as he loved to get on his brother's nerves, Vergil was right. They had to hurry. So, he concentrated on the fight again. With whirling coat, he avoided the sharp claws of the beast and tried to get closer to it. Which was easier said than done, because this disgusting tongue had an incredible range. He was about to shout something up to Vergil, but he was already acting and pinned this slippery thing to the floor with his daggers. The demon stopped kicking and tried to free itself by pulling and tugging. Vergil used this moment to climb on its head and rammed Yamato's sharp blade into the monster's skull. Dante ran the last few meters and dropped to the ground to slide under the demon's body and slit its throat in the same movement. The demon reared up one last time before collapsing and turning to ash after a brief moment.

Huffing, Dante supported both hands on his hips and stopped in front of the portal. He couldn't see anything, but a cool draft of wind swept over his face, and he inhaled the smell of fresh air. "Finally. How I missed that. Back home I absolutely need something to eat. Hey, Verge? You like pizza, or ...", the last words got stuck in his throat when he noticed the familiar feeling of Yamato's pointed blade between his shoulders. Slowly he lifted his hands and shook his head in disappointment: "I should have known".

"You're too naive, Brother. You've always been.", Vergil's voice sounded cold and distant.

"Why are you doing this?" Dante turned around to look at his brother's face. He was more than disappointed, he was pissed off. The two had spent over two months down here together, fighting countless demons while watching each other's back. And now his stupid brother had the nerve to throw it all away. He was so sick and tired of fightig his own twin.

"Hell lacks a king. And who would suit the throne better than me? Besides, this is my home. You go back to the humans, I stay. This is where I belong."

"No," screamed Dante, suddenly no longer able to keep his feelings under control. He grabbed his surprised brother by the shoulders. "You are more than that! Stop this nonsense and come with me!

"Let go," Vergil growled quietly, but made no effort to tear himself away.

"I won't leave you behind! Not again!"

Vergil's gray eyes widened, and Dante thought he could see Vergil's stoics facade falling apart. But then his older sibling blinked, and his facial expression became cold again.

"I disagree," he hissed and with a jerk of his arm he rammed Yamato's blade through Dante's chest.

* * *

_Yeah, I know. A Cliffhanger. But don't you worry the next one is already half finished__._

_There are many demons in this chapter, aren't there? They are the result of a booze filled night with a friend. We discussed demons and strange animals. And I really wanted to take the opportunity to put some of our bizarre ideas here. Whether they will appear again or play a bigger role, I dare to doubt. __But who knows. xD_


	5. Chapter 5: Home (Part Two)

_I like to watch people. That may sound a little creepy, but it's the truth.__  
__You can learn a lot about people if you are attentive enough. That's why there are two scenes in DMC5 that fascinate me in particular.__  
__1\. After Nero kicked his father's ass. Vergil hardly lets him out of his sight. He just looks at him, whether out of curiosity or respect (or maybe he actually feels something deep inside his crippled heart ;)). I firmly believe that the brothers were ready to work together so quickly because they have something to fight for again. Someone they want to protect and who has freed them from their eternal dilemma.__  
__2\. Maybe it's just my tired mind, but have you noticed how Vergil's behavior changes when he and Dante arrive in the underworld? Down there he seems much more relaxed to me._

_Well, this is just my weird and emotional opinion, and I am aware that I probably read too much into these cutscenes BUT as long as nobody proves me otherwise, I'll stick with it.__  
__Because, I love it._

* * *

**Chapter 5: Home****  
****(Part Two)**

Vergil felt the warm blood of his brother running sticky over his hand and seeping into his glove. He heard Dante's rattling breath as he tried to endure the pain Yamato's blade inflicted on him. With cold eyes the older one watched him and wondered why his brother couldn't just leave him alone. Yes, they were siblings, even more than that, they were twins, although they both did everything they could to distinguish themselves from each other. As a young boy, Dante had always been the exact opposite of him and even then, he had hated to be compared to his brother. They were certainly not a family. It was time he sent his whiny brother to where he came from, to the human world.

Dante's hand slipped limp from his shoulder, and he let his head hang with a cough. For a moment it seemed as if the demon hunter would drop to his knees. Vergil wanted to pull his sword out of his brother's chest, but to his surprise the latter just shook his head and clasped the sharp blade tightly with his right hand.  
"Where did you learn to aim?" His voice was hoarse with pain and blood ran out of the corner of his mouth, but he forced himself to a broad grin as he raised his head and looked into his confused brother's face. "You missed my heart."

"Stop pestering me and get out of here," Vergil growled and tried to free Yamato from Dante's grip.  
"No." The grin disappeared from Dante's face, and he clawed his other hand into Vergil's shoulder. "Not this time, Vergil."  
The older twin hadn't expected this and tried to tear himself away. He took a quick look at the closing portal. "Let go at once, you imbecile!"  
"No, brother. You won't get away that easily. Either we both go, or we stay. You decide," as to give his words more meaning, he strengthened his grip on Vergil's shoulder.

Dumbfounded he stared at his clearly crazy brother. Was he really serious? This guy was out of his mind. He should knock him unconscious immediately and throw him through this bloody portal.  
From afar, the roaring and screaming of countless demons could be heard. He didn't need to look to know that this horde was approaching them quickly.

"Come on, Verge! Make up your mind!"  
Vergil pressed his jaw together and tried to think. But the trampling of the Horde, the vibrating under his feet and Dante's challenging voice stressed him. He was unsure and maybe for the first time in his life he didn't know what to do.

_Leave. This place is no longer your prison. You don't have to stay here._

He did not know from where those thoughts suddenly came. But he didn't have enough time to dwell on it. The demons were right behind them.  
"You idiot,' he cried out in frustration, uncertain whether he meant his brother or himself. Without further hesitation he grabbed his brother by the collar and threw himself against him with all his strength.  
Dante stumbled backwards and the only thing that saved him from falling was Vergil's iron grip and the sword that still stuck in his chest. His feet lost its hold and skittered across the ground as Vergil shoved him like a human shield. He could barely catch a glimpse of the demons that threateningly leaped into the air and aimed for his brothers back. Then everything around them turned black and for a tiny moment all the surrounding noises stopped as they dived through the thick, ice-cold mass.

Stumbling, they both fell out of the portal. Dante's face grimaced in pain as he hit the hard floor and Vergil's heavy body crashed down on him, squeezing the air out of his lungs. Dense dust whirled up around them.  
Vergil sat up panting and held his aching shoulder. The wound was not deep, but it was hot and smelled burned. He had only grazed the outer edge of that portal. This magical shield between the worlds was indeed powerful.  
He heard a shriek behind his back. Roughly he tore Yamato out of his brother's chest and jumped back onto his feet. With a hasty movement he split the magical crack and simultaneously the head of a demon that was about to push itself through. Flickering, the portal collapsed.

Then it was quiet. The only things that could be heard was Vergil's loud breath and Dante's groan as he rolled to his side. They were in a room with only a single window. Silver moonlight lit it just enough, so the twins weren't sitting in complete darkness. A thick layer of dust covered the dark marble floor on which they stood. In one corner was a broken fireplace and the walls were adorned with paintings that must have looked beautiful many years ago, but now most of them were torn or rotten.

"Wow, that was close," coughed Dante and pushed himself on all fours. Vergil stared down at his brother and when the man to his feet began to laugh, something in him snapped. Without looking, he threw his precious sword and its sheath careless to the ground.  
"I can't believe you made me do that," he shouted. Furious with anger he kicked his kneeling brother in the stomach. "I should have killed you!"  
This time he stepped after his injury. "You are driving me insane!" He pulled out for a third kick, but Dante managed to grab his boot and gave it a tuck, to bring Vergil out of balance.  
Dante got back on his feet. "I'm driving you crazy!? Which one of us is the backstabber then? I am sick and tired of cleaning up your mess!", Dante yelled back, pulled up his fist and punched his brother straight in the face.  
Vergil spat out blood that ran from his burst lip into his mouth and stared hatefully at his twin. "I despise you."

"Oh yeah? Prove it!"

These were the last words the brothers exchanged before they started to attack one another and smash each other's heads in. They put all their piled-up frustration into every single punch and kick. Blood dripped onto the floor and seeped into the white dust and their angry cries echoed from the walls.  
This was neither a battle between enemies nor an honorable duel. It was a long overdue fight between siblings who could not be more different.

Some pictures fell to the ground with a clatter when Vergil was knocked against the wall by his brother. He could barely pull his head to aside when Dante's fist struck in right beside his ear.  
"Have you finally had enough, wannabe-demon?"  
Vergil just growled and kicked him away. Panting, he made a step forward, ready to continue. "Why wouldn't you understand, Dante?"

"Because you are lying," was Dante's short answer, he raised his fists.

"I don't care about people. The only thing I want is- !"

"Bullshit," Dante interrupted him, "I got to know your human side! And he told me everything!"

These words hit Vergil like another slap in the face. He wanted to answer something, yell at this stupid man in front of him and make it clear once and for all that he was not interested in all this. But V's mention left him speechless.

"So, stop pretending." The anger had vanished from Dante's voice when he saw his brother's hanging shoulders.

Vergil let himself slide down the wall. To avoid the pitying looks of his twin, he bent his legs, supported his elbows on his own knees and let his head hang.  
Both men fell into silence.

Dante looked around the room uncomfortably, the surroundings seemed strangely familiar to him. Finally, he discovered Yamato. Without further thought he went over to the sword and picked it up. The blade gave a rebellious buzz, and he felt like needles were piercing his hand. This Devil arm had always hated him. He had to grin. This damn blade was as stubborn as its master. He pushed the katana back into its scabbard.  
He approached Vergil and held out the sword to him like a peace offering. It took a moment for his older brother to raise his head and look at him with an iron face. Dante was about to drop his arm, defeated, when Vergil finally reached for the Yamato.  
"You broke it again," he finally grumbled.

Relieved, a smile scurried over Dante's lips. "Yeah. Sorry about that."  
He helped his brother on his feet with a little tug before he let go of Yamato.

Without uttering another word about this incident, the siblings set off. The portal had seemingly spat them out in an old abandoned castle. Everywhere stood heroic statues covered in dust. The ceilings were huge and decorated with paintings and the artfully decorated furniture was rotten. Large spider webs dangled in almost every corner.  
With each corridor the men crossed, Dante became more restless. Since they had arrived, a feeling of déjà vu came over him. Finally, they reached a huge hall. When Dante saw the gigantic statue of a knight on horseback, it finally hit him.

"Shit. We're on Mallet Island," he smacked himself in the forehead: "Why didn't I notice that earlier? That makes sense."  
Vergil looked at his brother at a loss: "We are where exactly?  
"Can't you remember? In this castle you were...here we are..."  
To Vergil's amazement his brother began to stutter. He pulled his eyebrows together skeptically: "I don't understand a word." But Dante just shook his head and went straight on. Vergil asked again but couldn't get a word out of his otherwise so talkative brother. So, he eventually gave up and followed him as he led them both eagerly through the castle. This rundown keep was a maze and it took half an eternity until they made it to the gates. Finally, Dante's stiff shoulders seemed to relax.

Vergil was also relieved to finally leave this labyrinth behind him as well. He couldn't remember having been here before, but still he felt a bad sensation in his stomach that he couldn't shake off.  
The smell of the sea greeted him, and the wind tugged at his coat as they went on. They were actually on an island. They reached a shore after a few minutes. Dante dropped into the sand and closed his eyes.  
"Finally!", cheering, he raised his arms into the air before letting them fall next to him and Vergil almost expected this idiot to make a sand angel. But Dante did nothing of the sort, he just enjoyed the fresh air and the sound of the sea.

Vergil, on the other hand, remained standing and looked at the water that stretched before them. It was still night, and he could see the colorful lights of a city on the horizon. He didn't like to admit it, but he liked the scenery and the silence. The salty smell of the sea was a welcome change from the rotten stench of the underworld. And the wind cooled his exhausted and aching body.

"And how did you expect us to leave this place?"

"You can just open a portal with your toothpick."

"I can cut your head off too."  
Vergil looked at his sword, but let it sink again: "I can't open a portal if I don't know the destination." Dante sat up and shook sand out of his hair: "Then just choose one."

Angrily, the elder threw sand into his brother's face with his boot: "You have no idea about magic, do you?"

He already knew the answer.

Their little teasing was interrupted when a loud helicopter appeared on the horizon, heading towards them.  
Blond hair danced in the wind as a woman leaned out of the black monster and waved at them.  
Dante grinned at both ears and happily punched his brother's shoulder without looking away from the helicopter.

"That's my girl."

* * *

_Finally, the two idiots finally made it! Hurray!_

_I really enjoyed this chapter and it was fun to write. __It's been years since I played the first part. So please have mercy on me. ;) __I chose Mallet Island because it's the closest place to the underworld (according to the developers) and of course because of Dante's memories of Nelo Angelo._

_I would also like to thank you for your kind support. It motivates me to continue writing and improve on my English. -J._


	6. Chapter 6: Facing Demons

**Chapter 6: Facing Demons**

_Pathetic.  
__With this ridiculous power you call your own, you want to protect her?  
__Look at yourself. You couldn't save Credo and Kyrie had to suffer so much just because you were too weak.  
That way you will never be on the same level with him.  
Do you want to stay a second-class devil hunter? Or do you finally want to do something about it?  
__You need more power._

_..._

With a jerk Nero opened his eyes, his heart beating up to his throat, and he felt the cold sweat on his forehead. Great, another nightmare. Sighing, he wiped his wet forehead. Then he looked at the red glowing numbers of his alarm clock standing next to him on the bedside cabinet, half buried under comics and magazines. It was displaying something by 3 o'clock in the morning. Grumbling, he lay back again. The bad dream still stuck in his bones, even though he could only remember it vaguely. He raised his right hand in front of his eyes and clenched it into a fist. A soft blue glow brightened his face as he dissolved the firm skin of his arm with a single thought, revealing its true astral form. An electric tingle flashed through his fingertips as he rubbed them together. This was his demonic power and yet it was not enough. It was never enough. He had to become stronger. Stronger than this smiling and lying asshole in his red coat.

As the mattress moved, he could hear Kyrie murmuring sleepily: "Nero, turn off the light." She turned away from him and buried her face in the pillow. Smiling, Nero pulled up a corner of his mouth and relaxed his hand, the blue shimmer disappeared, and the room became dark again. Carefully, not to wake her, he slid closer. In the dark he could barely make out her silhouette and stretched out his hand to her shoulder. She was warm, as always when she was deeply asleep. He gently stroked his thumb over the scar on her shoulder. Back then, in the Mitis Forest, when they were children, he hadn't managed to protect her from the demons. Many years later, when the order had betrayed them, he had failed again, and she was abducted by these monsters. A third time he would not allow anyone to lay a finger on this beautiful woman. He had to get better…for her.

He pulled his hand back and threw his own blanket over her. Nero swung his legs out of bed and suppressed a yawn. His body needed a moment to come to terms with the thought of getting in motion. He bent down for his clothes, which lay crumpled at his feet and pulled them over. With his boots under his arm he crept out of the bedroom. In the small, narrow hallway where he stored his two weapons, he put on his boots and freed Red Queen from her confining suitcase. Blue Rose hung like a trophy on the wall amidst old and new photos of the life they both had spent together since he was abandoned on the steps of Fortuna's orphanage. There were pictures from her childhood in the Order. A long time ago when Credo was still alive, and they had no idea of the difficulties they had to face one day. Even then Kyrie had loved to sing. Whenever he was in a bad mood and felt rejected, she just sat next to him and sung. Even then her voice had calmed him down and nothing had changed that in all those years.

But Kyrie hasn't sung in a long time. The treachery of the order and Credos dead had taken the joy out of her. Sometimes he heard her whistle or even humming. But never did a melody leave her lips. These bastards had taken so much from her. Her faith, her passion and her whole family. And he had been too weak to stop them.  
Nero's gaze fell on a photo of himself as a kid. He was sitting in front of a tree, crying and with bruised knees and Credo knelt beside him taking care of his wounds.  
Anger overcame him, anger over himself and his own inadequacy.

_Weakling, Loser... Dead weight._

Never again would he allow such a thing to happen. He swore that to himself. He had to protect them. Kyrie, Nico and this cursed city they lived in. Nero tore the photo from the wall and crushed it in his fist. Then he grabbed Blue Rose and his coat and stormed out of the room. Their townhouse, located in the old residential area of Fortuna, was small and had certainly seen better days. They had no garden and the only way out was through the garage. But it was still the best home they could wish for.  
Nero threw his coat over his shoulder as he opened the door to the garage. To his surprise, the lights were switched on. Right in front of the parked van sat Nico with crossed arms on an old camping chair, which was barely held together with tape. He was just not in the mood to struggle with her loose mouth and just wanted to stomp past her, but then he heard her snore and stopped. He pulled up his eyebrows in wonder as he saw Vergil's book in her limp hands. Where did she found that? His anger waned a little as he discovered the pile of scrap metal at her feet, which had probably once been a prosthesis. Had she been working through the night again?

"Don't drool on the book," he murmured quietly and went over to the van. He only had to lean inside to reach for the blanket that was always lying around somewhere on the small sofa. The old rag already had several burn holes in it and smelled of cigarettes. Just like everything that came into contact with the mechanic. Hell, even his own coat got burnt when that nutty woman drove on one of her "shortcuts" again. With a wrinkled nose he threw the blanket over Nico's shoulders. He knew better than to wake her up. He knew her long enough to know how well she could aim with her tools when she was angry.

Nero went over to the garage door and slowly tried to pull the old rusty thing up as quietly as possible, so he could slip through.  
"Hey, Kitty. Be careful and don't get in the car with strangers, not even if they hand out candy."  
Nero looked at Nico, who blinked tiredly at him and already let herself sink deeper into the blanket to continue sleeping.  
"Yes, Mom," he grinned and bent down under the gate to get on Fortuna's streets.

Whenever he woke up in the middle of the night, he made his way over Fortuna's roofs to the Mitis Forest to train. Years ago, this forest used to be infested with demons. But now the trees were the only things he could let his anger out on. He was standing on the clearing where one of the artificial hell gates once stood. Now there was nothing left of it, not even the remains. Only a big crater reminded one of the ugly things that had happened here. Nero breathed deeply, he began to remember the past again, although he had more important things to do. He held his sword in his right hand. For a few days now he had been training without prostheses. Dante could wield his swords with ease in both hands. Something Nero never could do with his deformed demonic arm. But now the tide had turned. With this new arm he could finally close the gap between himself and Dante. He no longer just wanted to rely on gadgets. He had used the Devil Breakers because he was weak, because he had lost his arm and thus the ability to summon Yamato.  
But those times were finally over, he needed to rely only on his own strength. And only then could he beat Dante.  
First Dante... and then his fucking father.

* * *

_Yeah, I know this chapter is pretty short and nothing special. I didn't like the first version, so I just started over again._

_I wanted to see what it looked like in his head after everything that had happened to him AND I really needed my daily dose of Nero-ness. But I think I overdid it a little. This chapter wasn't planned that way either, but sometimes things just happen. ;)_

_Now you at least know how pissed off he is by his "family". -J._


	7. Chapter 7: Old Scars

**Chapter 7: Old Scars**

Nero pulled his hood in his face to protect his eyes from the bright midday sun as he entered the city. He still couldn't believe that he had fallen asleep in the middle of the forest. After trying to maintain his demonic form for as long as possible, he was so exhausted that his body collapsed, and he simply didn't get up again. Although it was the most refreshing sleep he had had in a few weeks, he still felt like shit. He had simply overdone his training without getting any progress. His Devil Trigger was still tugging at his stamina and his right-handed sword fight was clumsy. Damn, how was he supposed to train properly if he didn't have a sparring partner? Maybe he should go back to Red Grave to help the military. With luck, they had left him a few demons to beat up.

However, this idea of his was doomed to fail. Kyrie would break his neck when he disappeared again without a mission. He and Nico had only arrived back in Fortuna a few days ago. But he couldn't just sit around and do nothing or continue training with his own shadow, like an idiot. A training dummy would be practical. One that didn't immediately break down into its individual parts, like the Devil Breakers.  
He should talk to Nico about it, she was smart, she would surely come up with something.

With his hands in his pockets he made his way home.  
When he arrived there, the garage door had already been pulled up, and he was greeted by a wide awake and grinning Nico: "Oh boy. Just look at that walk of shame. Didn't I tell you to behave?"  
Nero rolled his eyes and pulled the hood back: "Haha. Very funny. Is Kyrie still at home?", he threw his revolver in her direction: "The trigger is jammed. Can you take a look at that?"  
"Do I look like a henchman to you? You can take care of your shit yourself!", despite her complaints she immediately started inspecting the gun: "Your girlfriend left for work an hour ago. I'm supposed to tell you that you're an idiot and that the food is waiting the oven." Nico put the revolver on the folding table she had set up in the middle of the garage and was immediately in her element. His eyes fell on Nico's thigh. The wound she suffered on their last mission healed well so that she no longer needed the bandage. The band-aid she had stuck on the nasty cut instead was huge and still didn't cover everything. A scar would remain and that upset Nero so much that he had to look away.

He stepped into the RV and closed the door behind him. Grumbling, he climbed over the junk that Nico liked to throw around in the car, when he wasn't around to stop her. He let himself fall in his usual place, the passenger seat. He was already stretching to reach for the phone, when he spotted the leathery book on the console. A piece of paper stuck out from between the pages. Curious he grabbed it and opened it. It was a little note. The messy handwriting was definitely Nico's.

_Family isn't just blood._

He turned the paper around and got rewarded with the lovely drawing of a turd. That was just like her.

_So, get your shit together and talk about it._

He smiled. If even his crazy mechanic was worried about him, he must have been acting stupid lately.  
After tucking the note back, he reached for the phone and dialed the number of Dante's office. As he held the phone to his ear and waited for someone on the other side to pick up, he suddenly noticed how damn nervous he was. He had planned to make that call for a long time but had managed to avoid it until now. When he heard a clicking sound in the line, he held his breath.

"Devil May Cry ..."

**…**

"...who is it? Oh. It's you." Lady had her hip leaned against the table and clamped the receiver between her shoulder and ear while cleaning one of her pistols with a cloth: "No. They're not back yet. Yeah, of course I'll let you know if I hear anything. See ya."  
With a loud sigh the Huntress put the phone back. "The poor boy," she turned around on the spot, put her hands on her hips and glanced down at the pizza-devouring jerk in front of her: "You know I can't stand lying. Next time you better ask Trish, she's got more practice with that than me."

Dante sat in his chair, chewing happily. His hair was still wet from the hot shower he had allowed himself as soon as they arrived at the office. He had already banished his filthy clothes and was now sitting there, bare chested and with a towel around his neck, trying to ignore Lady's piercing glares by leafing through a magazine that had been out of date for at least two months. But his stubborn friend wouldn't give in. Leaning over the table, she ripped the smutty literature from his hands: "I'm talking to you. Why was I supposed to lie to Nero in the first place? Don't you think he should know that you are back home?"

The man threw his half-eaten piece of pizza back into the greasy box and patted his own belly in satisfaction: "It's simple. This hothead would immediately head over here and kick the door in like a behemoth on steroids, either to yell at me or punch me. With my poor luck lately, even both. And believe me, I've had more than enough of that in the last few months. I need a little break." Dante grinned amused: "And I don't even want to guess what he's going to do to his idiot of a father." Lady didn't seem to like his answer, but at least she refrained from pressing him any further. Then he leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms behind his head: "Trish. Finally, care to explain how you found us?"

The addressed woman was sitting on the edge of Dante's desk, her legs delicately crossed. She supported both hands on her knee and interlocked her fingers. Her face was expressionless as she looked down on Dante's guest: "I kept my ears low to the ground while you were gone and so, by pure coincidence, I happen to be nearby ...and there I smelled something fishy."  
The victim of her unyielding gaze grumbled quietly and avoided her eyes. With Yamato in his lap, he hid in the corner of that old leather sofa in hope to get some peace and quiet. But that blond she-devil never let him out of her sight. Her face irritated him. Dante's partner looked so much like their mother, the long blonde hair, the shape of her eyes, even the sound of her voice, everything. He hated it.  
Lady joined her friend and sat next to her, her cleaned pistol still in hand: "Fishy, indeed. Dante? May I shoot him in the face?", with a smug grin, she lifted her gun and took aim. When Dante could feel Vergil's demonic aura darkening and the characteristic clicking, when his brother prepared to draw his sword, he sat up quickly.  
The chair creaked as he stood up and stepped between his brother and the belligerent women. He put one hand on Lady's gun and pushed it down: "That's enough. Nobody gets shot, impaled, dismembered or otherwise killed today. I am tired and mopping up blood is the last thing I want to do today, understood?"

"Ugh, party pooper." Lady shoved her gun back into its holster on her hip, "I'm out of here. I've got a job to do anyway." She picked up her rocket launcher and lifted it onto her shoulder with such ease as if this impressive weapon weighed little more than a bag of feathers. Trish followed her example and stood up: "Just keep an eye on your brother. We've already had enough catastrophes because of him." Before she left, she put a hand on Dante's shoulder and gave him a smile: "It's good to have you back."  
As soon as the door closed shut behind the two women, Dante rubbed at his face with a loud groan. That could have turned out worse.

"Her visage bothers me," Vergil complained, obviously still in a bad mood. Dante knew exactly what his brother was talking about. It had taken him years to get accustomed to the fact that Trish looked so much like their late mother.  
"You get used to it after a while.", the younger brother explained. His sibling snorted dismissively.  
Silence spread throughout the room. While the older brother was sitting on the sofa with his head in one hand in his usual brooding manner, the younger one was still standing in the same place with his back turned towards him. In the last months they had often sat together like that until Dante couldn't keep his mouth shut any longer, much to his older brother's regret. But this time it was different. This kind of silence was unpleasant because they both knew that they had to have a serious talk. Something they both have never been good at. Since they were children, they had always tried to settle their conflicts in battle or some sorts of competitions.

"Vergil?" Dante didn't face his brother and wasn't waiting for an answer: "Are we good?"

"Certainly not", Vergil's voice was cold and defensive, as always. Dante had expected a response like that. Although Vergil had disappeared for years, Dante knew his older twin very well. It was stupid to ask such a question. Of course, things between them weren't okay. A few weeks together in the underworld could not undo everything that had happened between the brothers in all these years, because they were simply too different and too stubborn for that.  
Besides, Dante couldn't overlook the terrible deeds his brother had done. Obsessed with power, he had willingly sacrificed everything. Thousands of people had been killed by his actions. Whether months ago, with the Qliphoth in Red Grave City or many years ago through the Temen-ni-gru, no matter where Vergil appeared, humans died. Every damn time he had to step in to put his mad brother in his place. The devil hunter clenched his teeth as he realized that he literally forced this predictable man back into the human world. Maybe it was a mistake and maybe he will regret it someday. But for now, he could at least keep an eye on him.  
However, his anger ebbed away quickly as he remembered their fight in front of the portal. He had told the truth, he still believed that there was more to his brother, that he was more than just a bitter, broken man who's only strive was power.

"How long are you going to stand there, pretending that you're capable of thinking? You can't fool me, Dante.", Vergil's bored voice made Dante turn around.  
Almost on its own, the corners of his mouth turned into a grin: "I just thought about the best way to chain you up, so you don't vanish and summon a magic clock tower or something, just to finally be able to defeat me".  
"I could promise to behave myself," Vergil suggested unconvincingly. Dante shook his head: "Why doesn't that calm me down?  
The older one kept silent for a moment, before he replied: "Because I would betray you."  
Dante's grin disappeared when their little chat took on a serious tone.  
"Yeah, you've always been good at that. Explain it to me, brother. Are you so stubborn that you do not realise that power alone does not help you? That it is not the solution for all your problems?"

"Oh, please. Spare me your nonsense. You don't know what I've sacrificed to get this far." Vergil looked at his precious sword in devotion: "Without my strength I could never have survived back then. Without it, the demons would have torn me to pieces. But how could you understand that? Things have always fallen into your hands. Dante the legendary devil hunter, the great hero, the savior of the humans! The man that ran away when our home was attacked."

It only took one step and Dante towered in front of his sitting brother. He grabbed Vergil by the collar and pulled him up so suddenly that the latter had no opportunity to react: "I never ran away from anything!" Angrily he stared at the man in his grip, who only arrogantly responded to his gaze: "Oh yes? Then you should explain why our mother d...".  
"Because she wanted to save you! She called your name and looked for you! It's your fault that she was killed!" His hands clung so tightly to the clothes of his silent twin that his knuckles turned white. He had to take a deep breath and suddenly couldn't look Vergil in the eye anymore: "I saw her die... There was nothing I could do, I was still a child, just like you."

Dante would never openly admit it, but he blamed himself for his mother's death. His mind knew that he could not have done anything at that time, wasn't he supposed to try anyway? If he had only been strong enough at that time, he might have been able to save her. These thoughts have been his motivation ever since. That's why he took on every shitty job and threw himself head over heels into all kinds of jeopardies. Hopefully one day these memories would finally disappear.

Vergil grasped firmly at one of Dante's hands and silently freed himself from it. Seeing his otherwise compulsively cheerful brother so gloomy and serious was a nuisance. But although he didn't know how to react, he couldn't help but understand his younger brother a little. Apparently, they both had their reasons to never deviate from their goals.  
"I believe I will reside here for a few days. But only if you stop rambling and if you cry, I will slap you".

"That's what you always used to say back then.", Dante laughed quietly and took the other hand of Vergil's collar: "By the way, you smell terribly. Go take a shower, or I'll get the hose."

* * *

_Oh, my God! __This chapter was so exhausting and, to be honest, I didn't really enjoy writing it. Far too many dialogues and too little action. That's why it took me so long to finish it. I think, I also leaned out too far with the twins, and they got, in my opinion, very ooc. I'm sorry. :(  
__Nevertheless, this chapter is important, because here I have finally decided which direction_ _Spardas descendants will take.  
__This is the last weepy chapter for the time being. _

_**I need action and I'm sure you do too. xD**_

_Next stop: Fortuna._


	8. Chapter 8: Reunion

**Chapter 8: Reunion**

Humming and with a smile on her lips, Kyrie listened to the catchy pop song coming from a radio with its bent antenna, that stood on the windowsill. The setting sun bathed the small, narrow kitchen in a warm orange. In a cheerful mood the young woman danced through the room, wiggling her hips and rolling her shoulders to the rhythm of the music as she prepared some chilled drinks for herself and her two workaholics. It had been unusually warm in Fortuna for the last few days, so she wore her long hair tied into a messy bun today. She was proud of her long and wavy mane, but at these high temperatures, she had to tame it if she didn't want to get a heat stroke. With her jeans rolled up and barefooted she balanced the tray with the drinks in one hand and made her way to the garage.  
As Kyrie tossed the door open with her hip, she was greeted by Nero's loud music booming from the RV. Among the fast beat and aggressive vocals, the voices of Nico and Nero mingled. The two stood in the middle of the garage yelling at each other. While Nero had defiantly crossed his arms in front of his chest, his angry mechanic stood in front of him, trying to make herself as big as possible and repeatedly poked at his shoulder with her finger.

The redhead was little surprised by the sight, she knew Nero and his temper, and his partner loved to provoke him, so it often happened that the air between them exploded. But the quarrels of these two hotheads were rarely of a serious nature, so Kyrie didn't worry.

The garage door was completely open to make the heat a little more bearable. Sometimes Kyrie was happy about that they had no direct neighbors and that the terraced houses to their left and right were abandoned. These daily fights, the loud music and Nico's daring experiments would certainly have led to complaints. She decided not to interfere in their argument and placed the tray on a workbench next to the car. With her forearm, she pushed some tools aside to make enough room for her to sit comfortably. The two rowdies were so busy with themselves that they didn't even noticed their chuckling audience.

"You idiot! You broke him!" Nico cursed and pierced her finger ruthless into Nero's shoulder. He didn't seem to feel it at all and looked stubbornly down at his dark-haired partner: "You told me to test it! I only did what you asked me to do!"

In a corner of the garage, which was normally only used to store old equipment and cartons filled with clutter, stood a creepy, human-looking robot that looked more like something out of a movie, than the training dummy Nero had been dreaming about for a while. The whole last week Nico had been working continuously on this thing. She was so absorbed in her work that Kyrie sometimes had to pull her by the ears into the house to make sure the woman didn't forget to eat and sleep. Kyrie wasn't happy about how obsessed the mechanic was, but if it kept Nero from sneaking out in the middle of the night to train somewhere and then coming home depressed and angry, then it was fine with her. She understood her boyfriend and that he was doing all this to protect the people he cared about and the city they lived in, but that didn't mean she had to like it. More than once Kyrie had tried to make him realize that strength wasn't everything. In her eyes he was already a hero. She was proud of him and all the good deeds he had done. Nero had already saved countless lives, including hers. But this stubborn guy only thought about the people he couldn't save.  
On top of that, he kept comparing himself to Dante. And although he constantly cursed that man for never having told him the truth about their relation, Kyrie knew that he admired his uncle.

Sparks flew out of the metallic training dummy and Nero's sword was stuck deep in its chest. Oil and grease dripped from the damaged spot, almost like blood. A disturbing sight.  
"Yes, I told you to test him, but that doesn't mean you should ram your stupid sword into his guts! You hit Hank's core!" - "Who thinks of a stupid name like Hank, anyway?"  
Nico flicked on Nero's nose, which made the young devil hunter flinch back.  
"Shut up, Kitty, and get me some ice cream as compensation! I've been working on this sweetheart all week you ungrateful punk!"

Kyrie couldn't help but smile. The two were so similar with their fiery nature and their shared passion for weapons. Like siblings. Even if none of them would ever admit it openly, they really cared for each other. She had already noticed this when Nico held Nero's Blue Rose in her hands for the first time and started stuttering with excitement. At first, Kyrie was skeptical of Nico when she learned that this woman was Agnus's daughter. A man who was heavily complicit in the disaster five years ago. It was Nero who convinced her that Nico had nothing in common with her insane father and that she should not blame the mechanic for his actions. This told her the same man who now doubted himself because his own father was a disappointment.  
But in the end, they were both not responsible for the mistakes of their fathers.

"Ice cream is a wonderful idea in this weather." The two interrupted their bickering and both looked in her direction. Nico's eyes lit up, and she raised both her thumbs with an approving smirk. Frustrated, Nero threw his arms in the air: "Kyrie! Really? You're on her side now? Come on, that's not fair."

Nico put both hands in her hips and grinned confidently up to the hunter: "Don't forget the sprinkles!" - "What are you? A child?" - "I am your worst nightmare if you don't get me my sprinkles."  
Nero rolled his eyes, annoyed, but refused to argue with his partner any longer. If it only needed a cup of ice cream to calm her down, then so be it.

The music, which had previously echoed through the garage, suddenly faded out in the middle of the song, for a moment you could hear a static noise before that ended as well. Apparently, the old jukebox still had its problems. The young woman, who was still sitting on the workbench, was relieved at the pleasant silence, the music of the two didn't exactly suit her taste. When Nero turned to her, she hid her broad smile behind her drink. Whenever he looked at her, his facial expression changed. It became softer, and he pulled up one corner of his mouth to indicate a smile. Oh, how much she loved that look on his face. After all these years he still managed to make her feel special by just looking at her with those bright blue eyes and that faint smile.  
Nero was just about to approach his girlfriend when a dark voice appeared behind the group.

"Did someone say, ice cream?"  
Everybody turned to its source in surprise.

"Dante!", Nico and Kyrie called almost in chorus.

"That's who I am.", with his usual charming grin on his face, the devil hunter leaned in the entrance to the garage and winked at the women: "Did you missed me?"

Nico started stuttering with excitement and you could see that she would have loved to rush to the man to hug him. She was such a fan girl when it came to her favorite devil hunter. Without even giving him the chance to answer, she bombarded him with so many questions that Dante started laughing and patting her head: "Easy, girl. You're getting all blue in the face."

Kyrie had stepped by Nero's side and nodded at the imposing man with a smile. He replied to her nod: "Every time we see each other, you look prettier".  
The red-haired, young woman giggled quietly, it had taken her a long time, but she had become accustomed to Dante's direct manner by now and could accept his compliments without blushing like a little girl.

"Hey, old man. So, hell spit you out again, huh?" Nero's voice was serious, and he stood there stiff as a stick, both hands clenched into fists. He had that serious frown on his face again. Kyrie knew that her boyfriend's feelings were going crazy and that he could not decide either to beat his newly arrived uncle or to be happy about his return. Carefully she put a hand on his tense forearm. She could see him breathing quietly and slowly relaxing.

"Yup, vacation is over," Dante's smile ebbed away, and he eyed the young man before stretching out his hand and added, "But you seem to have everything under control up here. Good work, kid."  
These words elicited a small grin from Nero, and he grabbed Dante's hand: "Well, maybe it's time for you to retire."  
What he hadn't expected, though, was that Dante pulled him to his chest with a tug and patted him firmly on the back. Then he lowered his voice so far that the women couldn't hear him. "Nice to see you in one piece, Nero." For a moment Nero didn't know how to react, but then he closed his eyes and breathed deeply: "Yes, you too." Then he quickly detached himself from the older hunter and cleared his throat, feeling uncomfortable. He wasn't the type for hugs, especially not when other people where around. He tried hard to ignore Nico's nasty laughter and crossed his arms in front of his chest again: "How did you manage to get out?"

Dante shrugged his shoulders: "Well, it turned out that your old man is useful for something after all. He knew..." Dante cursed himself inwardly as he saw his nephew's face darken, as soon as he mentioned Vergil.

Nero turned around on the spot and pulled his sword out of the training dummy. A few screws fell with a clatter to the ground. Nico gasped as she saw how her precious invention let its metallic head hang and clasped her hands over her head, but she was smart enough to keep her mouth shut, now was clearly not the right time to rebuke him.

"Where is he?", growled the young man, holding Red Queen firmly in his grip.  
Dante raised his hands to calm him down and took a step towards Nero: "Wouh! Take it easy, big guy."  
But the look in Nero's eyes and the challenging way he stared at Dante left no doubt that the boy had made his decision and that he would search for Vergil on his own anyway. With Dante's help or not.

"Where-is-he?!", Nero hissed between clenched teeth.  
Dante sighed and gave in. Like father, like son. If the experienced devil hunter failed to stop his own stubborn brother from doing what he did, then he had no chance at all with this younger and much angrier version of Vergil. He took a step to the side and pointed his thumb over his shoulder: "Outside."

Nero rushed past him and stepped on the street. He only had to turn his head and look left to discover the man who was supposed to be his father.  
Leaning back against the wall, his treasured sword in one hand, Vergil slowly lifted his head and looked at Nero in silence. If the white-haired man with the cold eyes had heard what had just happened, he either didn't let it show or simply didn't care. In recent months, Nero had often imagined what it would be like to face this man again and envisioned how he wanted to react. He had many ideas and most of them ended with smashing his father's teeth in with his regrown arm. In his imagination he was always calm and collected. But now in reality, it was difficult for him to control his anger.

"You're back.", the younger warrior managed to grumble.  
Vergil let his arms sink and straightened up to his full size: "Obviously."

Out of the corner of his eyes, Nero saw how Dante wanted to approach them. The young devil hunter called for his blue glowing Devil Bringer, stretched out the clawed wing towards the old garage door and pulled it down with a loud bang.  
The elder hunter could barely tear his head back as the door got slammed shut right before his nose. "Hey!", he protested loudly and wanted to reopen it, when a hand touched his arm. With raised eyebrows he looked down on Nero's girl. "Please, don't do this. Nero waited so long for this opportunity. He knows what he's doing."  
He hesitated and had a bad feeling about leaving the boy alone with his twin without being able to keep a watchful eye on them. Kyrie squeezed his arm and looked up at him with pleading eyes: "Dante, please try to understand him. He has to face his father." There was not the slightest trace of doubt in her voice. She seemed to trust her hotheaded boyfriend completely. Dante shook his head with a grin and stepped back from the door. "Does that idiot even know how lucky he is to have you?" Relieved, she let go of his arm and a confident smile appeared on her lips: "Yes, he does."

Even if Vergil stood there quietly, obviously unimpressed by the Red Queen, wich Nero held firmly in his hand, the younger one could still feel the demonic aura that emanated from this man, nevertheless. Although Lady had told him so, it was hard to believe that this asshole was Dante's twin. They didn't look alike at all. The brothers who had tried to kill each other were... twins? That was so fucked up.

"What do you want, boy?" Vergil's voice sounded bored. As if Nero had only been waiting for this question, he pushed his weapon back into the holster on his back and pointed with one hand upwards at Fortuna's roofs. "Follow me.", he demanded and already made a leap upwards to jump onto one of the fire escape ladders and from there onto the roof. With the bright light of the setting sun in his back, Nero set off on his way. He avoided chimneys, bypassed the many construction sites and jumped over from one house to the next. Only once did he look over his shoulder to make sure Vergil was still following him. It surprised him with how much interest the older man looked around. With a thoughtful frown, his eyes wandered over Fortuna's roofs. Was he trying to remember something?

As soon as they had arrived at their destination, Nero drew his sword again and turned to Vergil. The latter ignored him and only stepped to the edge of the flat roof on which they stood and looked down on Fortuna's streets. One building caught his eye in particular. It was nothing more than one of the many ruins that defaced the cityscape. There was a large playground in front of the building and a sign with the inscription "Fortuna's Children's Home". How ridiculous. Vergil laughed dismissively: "Do you want me to pity you?" He turned to the boy and was barely able to raise his hand in time to catch the object that Nero had thrown at him. Clearly with the intention of hitting his face. The sheer force of the throw made Vergil take a step back.

"No!" Nero yelled and didn't hold back his anger any longer. He bit his teeth together as he raised his sword: "I want you to fight me!"

Vergil looked at the book in his hand. It was undamaged, so this boy really paid attention to it. Interesting. With a quick movement he stowed it away by pushing it under his belt: "This is a wish I can grant you.", while he spoke, he took a few steps towards Nero and went into an attack position: "I will not spare you just because you are my son, Nero."

"That's all I want!" Nero made his Red Queen's engine howl. As soon as the first flames shot out of the nozzle flaps, Nero stormed towards his opponent. Vergil couldn't help but raise a corner of his mouth in admiration: "Good boy."

With Yamato at hand, he waited for Nero to reach him. The young devil hunter jumped into the air, raised his sword and lunged down at his father. Lightning fast and at the last moment, he pulled his blade and parried the mighty blow with Yamato's elegant blade. Nero's sword roared up again and Vergil gritted his teeth together over the sudden thrust. For a moment it was unclear which of the two would win this first clash of their swords. But then Vergil changed his tactics. He let his katana slide along Nero's blade and made a sidestep. Vergil was already waiting for the crashing noise with which Nero's sword would drill into the hard surface of the roof. But Nero was not that easy to trick. He managed to cancel his attack and roll over the ground to slow down the fall. Vergil's eyes widened in surprise as his son pushed off the ground from his squatting position and stormed him again. But this attack was ill-considered and poorly executed.  
Snorting he pushed Yamato back into its scabbard with a quick movement. It was obvious that the boy was aiming at his head again. So, Vergil ducked under the blade and rammed Yamato's hilt under his unprotected chin. This blow let the hunter stagger and made him held a hand in front of his bloody mouth.

"Do you want to disappoint me, Nero? You know it's useless to rush at me without thinking."  
Nero spat out blood and glared at his father: "Shut your mouth, you son of a bitch!" Vergil pulled a face and shook his head: "How obnoxious."  
With a furious outcry, Red Queens wielder started another attack.

This fight wasn't how Vergil expected it to be. This punk that stormed toward him and relied only on brute force had nothing in common with the concentrated and focused warrior he faced on top of the Qliphoth. Nero was angry. But anger makes you stupid and stupid gets you killed. It was time Vergil taught the kid this lesson the hard way.

* * *

_Thank you for your patience.  
I know it took a long time, but finally the descendants of Sparda are reunited. And with that the first half of the journey is over. Thanks to all readers and my friends who have motivated and supported me so far. I don't think I need another 8 chapters to finish this story. But there will still be a few big and small hurdles these men must overcome until I finally leave them alone._

_Yay, now I need a beer. xD_

_As for Kyrie. I think it's a pity that this woman is not given much attention in the games, even though she is so important for Nero and his character. The only role she is allowed to play is the damsel in distress. I would like to change that, and I am looking forward to it. Because I believe that this woman deserves it after everything that has happened to her. When I think about her musical taste, I always remember the song "In the End" by Stefanie Heinzmann (and the rest of that album.)._

_Damn, I already have a complete playlist on Spotify for Silver Bullet. That's not weird, is it?_


	9. Chapter 9: The Stranger

**Chapter 9: The Stranger**

With a loud clatter, the Red Queen fell to the ground when its owner no longer had the strength to hold the heavy weapon in his hand. Panting, and with a facial expression that could not hide the pain that plagued him, Nero fell to his knees. He had one hand firmly pressed to his side as blood splashed from a deep cut just below his ribs. With the other, he felt for his sword and clasped its grip tightly.

"Get up."

Nero raised his head and looked up at the older man, who stood only a few steps away from him. Vergil had positioned himself so that he had the evening sun in his back. In the meantime, this glowing ball had sunk so low, that it distorted the shadows of both men into abnormal abstracts. In order not to be blinded, the young devil hunter had to squint his eyes, for the glaring light of the setting sun illuminated the form of his opponent like a divine glow.

_How fitting for this arrogant asshole._

The sky was already beginning to darken, and in the distance, the first street lights lit up. Their battle had driven them further east, away from the residential area. Over the roofs to a part of the city that still lay in ruins after all these years.

"I told you to get up!" Vergil's voice became louder and the commanding tone more forceful.

Nero had to press his lips together to avoid a painful groan as he rammed the tip of his sword into the tarred ground. With all his weight, he had to lean on it to be able to get back on his feet. Blood dripped to the ground, but that came from his soaked clothes and not from his wound anymore. The demonic blood in his body already started to repair the damage Yamato had done. After he had stood up, Nero reached under his coat to pull his revolver out of its holster.  
Only the gun wasn't there. Shit. He had been in such a hurry that he had forgotten it.  
What a stupid rookie mistake!

"What is it, boy? Can't you beat me without your toys?"

Grumbling, he straightened himself up to his full size. The pain that had pierced through the injured part of his body a few moments ago slowly subsided. When Nero was sure he could move without risking reopening the wound, he lifted his sword and hoisted it onto his shoulder.  
Even though he didn't have enough energy left to change into his demonic form, it was still enough for his Devil Bringer. Goosebumps crawled down his neck and tingling sensation spread through his shoulders as his astral wings manifested behind him. Threateningly, they stretched out to their full height and showed their talons.

A sinister smile surrounded Vergil's lips at the sight of this unusual ability. Finally, Nero showed more of his demonic talent. The snap of his fingers was enough to create two ghostly swords out of nowhere that floated quietly by his side.

Nero hesitated. He could remember all too well how incredibly fast Vergil could launch these projectiles. But even though they were surprisingly fragile, they were dangerous. Besides, it hurt like hell to get pierced by those things.  
Vergil had drawn his sword and thus tore Nero back into the present.

"Let me show you how it's done." with these words Vergil bent his knees and vanished, only to reappear barely a second later right in front of Nero's nose.

Nero clutched the claws of his wings into a giant fist and let it rush down on his father while lifting the Red Queen defensively in front of his face to fend off two ghostly blades that rushed at him. With a clang, they shattered into tiny sparkling pieces. Vergil, for his part, used his katana to fend off the wings that tried to knock him down.  
This left a gap in his defense that Nero wanted to use for his advantage. With a jerk of his wrist, he let Red Queens engine howl and aimed at Vergil's chest. What he hadn't thought of at this point was the fact that Yamato's scabbard was also a weapon, that Vergil used right at this moment to avert Nero's attack. While Nero was determined to break through his father's defense with brute force, his father gave him a kick in the chest, which pressed all the air out of his lungs and let him stumble backward.

"Good! Try it again!"

Vergil conjured a new pair of swords and went back into his attack posture.

Nero was barely able to stand up and take a sidestep before Vergil's projectiles flew past him. Like a shadow, Vergil teleported himself from one place to the next and attacked Nero in random patterns from different sides. All the young devil hunter could do was intercept the attacks with his sword or try to dodge them.  
Then Yamato's blade hissed along his face, and he saw his chance. With both claws, he grabbed his father's arm and clasped him with an iron grip. Meanwhile, his sword arm dashed forward, ready to slit open his opponent's chest.  
But then a stabbing pain traversed his arm, and he almost dropped his precious Queen again.

A shining blue sword pierced his forearm. Blood dripped from the blade before it disappeared into thin air, leaving a nasty wound. The pain had distracted Nero so that Vergil could free himself from his grip and with a jump backward brought more distance between them.

The semi-demon breathed deeply and shook his arm out to banish the numbness from his fingers. This incredibly strong grip of Nero's Devil Bringer would probably have broken the arm of a simple human without effort. As soon as Vergil could feel his fingertips again, he took the first step towards but paused as he watched in surprise how the otherwise so proud wings sank to the ground and disappeared.

Swearing, Nero dropped on one knee and clasped his shaking arm.

The sight of this young man on the ground unintentionally reminded him of himself. Injured and breathless, Nero struggled to get back on his feet, clearly aware that he couldn't win this fight, but he couldn't give up. He was too proud to give up. Vergil slowly pushed Yamato back into its scabbard.

"Enough, Nero."

"We are ... not finished here ...", the young hunter was so out of breath that he hardly managed a whole sentence.

"Yes, we are."

Although it was very difficult for him to stand upright, he raised his sword. The silhouette of his wings appeared for a short moment but immediately disappeared into thin air again. His strength just wasn't enough for that anymore.

"Look at yourself. You can hardly stand on your feet. Your courage is admirable, but courage alone is not enough." Even though Vergil's words were harsh, he was impressed by Nero's iron will.  
The stubborn hunter just flipped him off, before he lifted the Red Queen. Vergil could only shake his head. Where did this poorly mannered child get his strength from?

"How childish."

Nero ignored the words of the man in front of him and let his flame-spitting sword dash down on Vergil.  
"Shut up and fight!" he shouted in the middle of the jump.  
But his opponent had enough of that boy's aggressive behavior. He pushed Yamato's sheath through his belt and held his faithful sword firmly in both hands. As soon as that hothead was close enough, Vergil pulled out to strike. The attack was so fast that he couldn't even see the blade that gripped him, he only felt the pain as Yamato hit his torso with such momentum that he got hurled through the air and crashed into a wall.

The Red Queen almost slipped out of his hands as he tried to hold on to the rough stone, but his body no longer obeyed him, and his vision began to blur.

_Shit, don't fucking faint!_

The last thing he saw was the streetlights that illuminated the ground many meters below him before his fingers lost their hold, and he fell. He closed his eyes and prepared himself for the impact.

_That's going to hurt._

His fall was suddenly slowed down, and he hovered in the air. When he opened his eyes in surprise, he looked straight into a grinning face.

"Hey, kid. How about a few flying lessons next time, before you pull off stunts like this?"  
Dante's broadsword was stuck in the wall. He had grabbed Nero by the belt, and now they were both dangling in the air. Dante hoped that the old walls of Fortuna could hold their weight.  
"Fortunately, your girl sent me to check on you."

"Please just drop me.", Nero sighed and let his head hang in defeat.

Dante frowned as he overturned his possibilities, how to get the kid and himself back on the roof. He didn't look like he had enough strength to climb up. Throwing him was unfortunately not an option either.  
Then the old-fashioned way.  
Effortlessly, he then called his demonic powers and turned into the beast that slumbered inside him. A powerful beat with giant wings was enough to keep him hovering in the air.

"Show-off", he could hear his passenger mutter and had to resist a laugh. With his sword in one hand and his nephew in the other, Dante flew up to the roof. He attempted to drop him off gently.  
The staggering devil hunter tried to land on his feet, but his legs gave in, and he couldn't prevent landing on his ass like an idiot. Nero couldn't remember the last time he felt so nauseous. Vergil's sword-blow into his stomach seemed to have rearranged his intestines. The fact that the blade hadn't cut him in half was a miracle. Carefully, he placed a hand on his belly and realized that he was unharmed.

He raised his head. The old man stood on the other side of the roof, Yamato still in his hands. Surprised, he noticed that there was no blood on the blade and that Vergil was holding it the wrong way around.  
This guy didn't want to injure him, he just wanted to stop him.

Their eyes met, and the young man turned his head away with a snort. _Asshole_.

"Not cool! Didn't I tell you not to kill your son?"  
Dante's booming voice made Nero raise his head just as Dante was taking on his human form again. The older one of the two siblings was not impressed when the hunter stomped in his direction.

"I merely tried to teach him some manners." he replied in his typical arrogant tone, which left no doubt how little interest he had in talking to his brother.

"And I'm trying to trust you, but you're not exactly making it easy, Verge!" growling, Dante tried to reach for Vergil's upper arm, but the latter slapped his hand away.

"Then don't."

The air between the two men got tense. Dante had suspected from the beginning that it was a stupid idea to let Vergil near his nephew. Nevertheless, he had let it happen in the hope that his brother would surprise him, but now they faced each other again with angry expressions, and Dante felt the urge to break his brother's nose.

"Hey!"  
Both men turned to Nero, who had already fought his way back to his feet and threateningly pointed the sword in their direction.  
"Mind your own business, Dante! This fight is not over until I say so!"

"Calm down. I understand you, and believe me there's nothing I'd like to do more than beat this jerk up, but don't you think it's enough?"

"That's not what this is about! That guy over there almost killed me! He owes me some answers!", his angry voice wavered at the last words.

Dante took a deep breath. He knew that the kid was struggling with some things, but never in his life would he have guessed that it was so serious. How the hell was he supposed to help him?

Confused, he almost stumbled, when he got roughly pushed aside. Vergil stepped past him and took a few steps towards Nero. Alarmed, Dante grabbed his brother's shoulder and tried to stop him from going on, it was more than clear that Nero had just enough strength to stand upright, but the man just gave him a withering glance and had already summoned one of his gleaming blades, which now floated dangerously close in front of Dante's face.

"Don't interfere!"

Dante let him go, gnashing his teeth.

"All right, I'll give you one last try. Don't waste it, child."

Even Nero didn't seem to have expected that Yamatos wielder would face him again. Although his pose seemed confident, and he managed to stay on his feet without swaying like a zombie, he knew he had no chance. The Red Queen had never felt so heavy, and he wished for nothing more than a Devil Breaker or his revolver. But right now, he had none of it.  
Without further delaying the inevitable Nero stormed towards Vergil, his sword raised high above his head. However, right in front of his father he stopped, changed the angle of his attack, and instead of letting the blade smash down on his opponent, he let its sharp tip rush forth to pierce him.  
Nero had squeezed his eyes shut and waited for Vergil's painful counterattack. But nothing happened.

And so he hesitantly opened them, Vergil glanced down at him with a serious look on his face, but his jaw was tense, and he breathed heavily through his nose. Then Nero's gaze fell on his sword and on the blood that stained it. His eyes widened as he realized that he had hit flesh.  
His blade had sunk deep into the man's shoulder. But how?

"Are you satisfied now?"

Nero broke away from the sight and stared dumbstruck up at his father. After a moment, Vergil grabbed the blade that stuck in his shoulder and pulled it out with a jerk.  
"I'll have a proposition for you, Nero. For every hit you land, I'll answer one question."

"You didn't defend yourself."  
Nero still looked as if he didn't understand a word and looked back and forth between the Queen and Vergil. The latter ignored his son's murmuring comment and breathed out impatiently.

"Irrelevant, and now ask me your question before I change my mind."

Finally, Nero broke out of his rigor. His confused facial expression disappeared and gave way to his typical frown. Lots of questions buzzed around in his head, none of them was pleasant, and he was sure he didn't want to know the answer to many of them. Nevertheless, he could not let this possibility pass unused.

"How many did you kill?"

Vergil looked down on him and remained silent for a long time. Nero didn't even expect an answer when the man finally raised his voice.  
"Do you really want to know?"

Nero nodded.

"Countless. Most of them simply stood in the way of my plans."

Although Nero had expected such an answer, the cold tone and obviousness in which Vergil had uttered this sentence, were like oil in the fire and the young hunter could feel how the anger in him wanted to revolt anew.  
This man was a demon and a danger to humanity. Why did someone like that have to be his father?

For Vergil, this conversation was over. Without paying any more attention to the two men, he turned away from Nero and stepped to the edge of the roof. With two fast cuts of his sword, he opened a portal. But before he disappeared into the darkness that filled the crack in reality, he couldn't resist directing a few last words to his son.

"I will be back soon. Until then, I expect you to work on your technique... and your temper."

Dante had watched the spectacle with his eyebrows raised. As soon as his brother had disappeared, he clapped his hands and started grinning "Just look at that."

His nephew already dropped back on his behind and wiped at his sweaty forehead. Dante went over to him and kept him company on the tarred roof. With a smile, he patted him on the shoulder. The two men sat there in silence for a while. Even though Dante had a hard time keeping his mouth shut, he still wanted to leave it to his nephew to break the silence.

"Are you sure this guy is my father? He is so different."  
His voice lacked the biting undertone and he let his shoulders hang, he was just tired.

"Well, I guess that happens to a man when he's been imprisoned in the underworld most of his life. In the past we looked so alike, it was annoying, but now...", Dante just shrugged his shoulders, it was unnecessary to finish the sentence.

Nero looked thoughtfully at his own hands.

_Imprisoned?_

He gave himself a moment to let that thought sink in. Then he boxed the older one against his shoulder: "Why did you lie to me, you idiot?"

Dante groaned and jumped back on his feet, he knew Nero would ask him that question sooner or later. For a long time, he had been thinking about what to answer. Probably the truth would be a good start. This young hothead would complain anyway.  
"Listen. To be a descendant of Sparda is not exactly a piece of cake. I had hoped that my silence would spare you all the crap Vergil and I have lived through since childhood. But as it turns out, you attract chaos just as much as we do.", then he grinned and spread his arms.  
"Welcome to the family."

"Yeah...just great.", Nero snorted and got back on his feet with a little stumble. Without wanting to start another fight, he just punched Dante's shoulder again but refrained from yelling at him. Suddenly Dante's arm wrapped itself around his neck, and the old man laughed and took him into a headlock. Nero began to cuss and squirm, but it wasn't until he could punch his elbow into Dante's stomach that the idiot finally let him go.

"What was that all about?"  
Furiously, Nero tried to rearrange his short hair and gave his still laughing uncle a push.

"I'm just relieved," Dante shrugged his shoulders before adding, "Thanks to you, I don't have to deal with my stupid brother on my own anymore." Nero looked at him as if he had lost his mind.

"Well, if we don't keep an eye on him, he could lose his marbles again. Your father does not listen to me, so I need your help. If he really wanted to change, then certainly not because of me." Dante winked at him meaningfully.

Nero snorted and crossed his arms in front of his chest and remained silent for another moment, obviously in his thoughts, before changing the subject: "Are you staying here?

Dante shook his head: "Nope, I'd better hurry. Before Lady and Vergil get at each other's throats and wreck my store."

The two men said their goodbyes, and while Dante roared through the streets on his loyal cavalry, Nero jumped over the roofs of Fortuna, back home.

* * *

_I was distracted for a while and had many other things on my mind, the last days. That's why I'm all the more surprised that most of this chapter was written in one night (which unfortunately shows). Although I intended to plan a little bit more, I wrote this chapter spontaneously again. I really struggle with writing down decent fight scenes.  
They are SO hard._  
(Updated it because I was not happy with the result.)


End file.
